A medical assistant is a healthcare professional who typically works in a doctor’s office and carries out some basic tasks.
As you advance in this field, you might wish to switch to a position that gives you more obligations and responsibilities, like a licensed practical nurse.
The normal requirements for becoming a licensed practical nurse include finishing a state-approved curriculum and passing the licensing exam.
This article provides all available information to answer the question “Can a medical assistant challenge the LPN exam?”.
About Medical Assistant
A medical assistant is a health care practitioner who serves as a link between patients and the institution by carrying out routine clinical and administrative tasks.
When a patient visits a doctor, the medical assistant responds to their inquiries, handles their billing details, maintains their medical records, and plans trips to the doctor’s office.
Aside from taking medical histories, medical assistants also explain treatment plans, get patients ready for diagnostic testing, and check their vital signs including their temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate.
Apart from helping doctors and nurses by offering patient care and treatment, they also support the facility’s administration by processing paperwork, entering data into health management systems, and filling out numerous forms.
Before entering the field, medical assistants often take a variety of educational pathways, which include:
1.High School Diploma
The minimum education necessary to become a medical assistant is frequently graduating from high school and receiving a diploma or GED.
You might be required by some states to seek post-secondary education, which makes it simpler for you to get certified and make you eligible for more job prospects.
2. Associate Degree
Typically, an associate degree program for medical assistants lasts two years.
An associate degree program offers instruction for dealing with patients while they are in a medical facility.
The program also teaches students on anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and computerized health care applications.
3. Certifications
Getting certified as a medical assistant can also make you more appealing to employers.
The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA), Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA), or Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credentials are available to medical assistant professionals.
About LPN Training Program
As a medical assistant, after you finish an associate’s degree program, a diploma program, or a BSN program, you can go for an LPN program.
A program that lasts for about nine months to a year is normally required to become a licensed practical nurse or LPN.
The shorter LPN degree restricts the training to fundamental abilities, even if many of the early courses are equivalent to those in a registered nursing degree.
To obtain an LPN license, you must pass the NCLEX-PN after finishing your academic preparation.
However, obtaining your LPN certification will prevent you from using your BSN education and nursing expertise to their fullest extent and may also reduce your earning potential.
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LPN Exam Requirements
The same national council grants both RN and LPN licenses, although the two licensing tests are very dissimilar.
RN and LPN exams emphasize the integrity of the psychosocial and physiological systems as well as safety, health promotion, and maintenance.
Although, the RN exam is more thorough and places more of a premium on supervisory abilities.
A national licensing model has the advantage of allowing your license to be used between states.
The LPN exam can be an alternative if you have tried and failed to pass the RN exam multiple times.
State Nursing Regulations
The national council issues the licenses, while state nursing boards set the laws governing nursing practices in each state.
The NCLEX-PN must be taken, however, if you have job experience, you could be eligible to skip the LPN certification curriculum in some states.
For instance, the state board of nursing in Florida advises that if you have finished coursework that is comparable to practical nursing education, you are eligible to skip this step.
This includes:
- They earned a C or higher in each of their courses.
- They received both theoretical and practical training in medical, surgical, obstetric, pediatric, and geriatric nursing as part of their studies.
- Acute care, community nursing, and long-term care must all be covered in clinical training.
- All of your coursework and clinical experience is documented.
51 months of paid bedside nursing experience during the previous ten years is one of the qualifications for a licensed vocational nurse in California, a state-specific designation equivalent to LPN.
Four years of medical-surgical nursing, six weeks of maternity or genitourinary nursing, 54 hours of pharmacology coursework, and six weeks of pediatric nursing are all required as part of the work.
The Board of Nursing in North Carolina claims that completing the practical nursing coursework is the only requirement for taking the NCLEX-PN.
The state has a compact with 25 other states, according to the Board, so if you have a license in one of those jurisdictions, you can apply for an LPN license in North Carolina without taking another exam.
How Do Medical Assistant Challenge The LPN Exam?
You can change your career from a medical assistant to an LPN by following the steps below:
1.Find An Accredited LPN Program
Getting the education needed to become an LPN is the first step in switching from a medical assistant to a nursing career.
Some professionals might enroll in a course that prepares medical assistants to become licensed practical nurses or enroll in a standard LPN program.
Note that it’s critical to enroll in a program that has been accredited by the National Council State Board of Nursing (NCSBN), which signifies that the program is officially recognized.
Ensure you confirm whether the credits you acquired for your medical assistant associate degree can be applied toward your LPN degree to save time.
2. Apply For Admission
The entrance standards of all the LPN schools that interest you can then be reviewed and compared.
Programs that bridge medical assistants and LPNs may demand a specific number of medical assistant work hours and a specific grade in prerequisite courses.
Ensure you get confirmation of your working history from each employer, along with your associate degree transcript for medical assisting.
3. Pass The NCLEX-PN
You can pass the National Council Licensure Examination in Practical Nursing after completing an accredited LPN program (NCLEX-PN).
If you pass the NCLEX-PN exam, you’ll be qualified to perform medical procedures as a nurse.
This examination consists of multiple-choice questions that check your proficiency in determining a patient’s medical condition and determining the best course of treatment.
To get ready for the exam, consider creating a study schedule and finishing practice exams.
Also, check the licensing criteria of the state where you want to practice because LPN license requirements can differ between states.
4. Seek Employment Opportunities
After receiving your nursing license, you are qualified to apply to become an LPN and look for open LPN positions at local hospitals.
To get information about job openings in the field, speak with people in your network, such as former classmates and teachers.
And to get the attention of hiring managers, attempt to highlight in your CV your technical skill set and dedication to offering high-quality patient care.
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Benefits When A Medical Assistant Challenge The LPN Exam
Changing from a medical assistant to an LPN has various advantages, including:
1.Working More Directly With Patients
Working as an LPN can enable you to give patients individualized care if you’re interested in giving them direct medical care and attention.
Patients’ health, well-being, and quality of life can improve because of your assistance.
2. Earning A Higher Income
Changing from a medical assistant to an LPN might be a wise move for you if you want to earn more money by taking on clinical duties.
You should consider doing some research on the area where you want to work and how your lifestyle and level of experience may affect your pay.
3. Treating Patients In Diverse Environments
Being an LPN allows you to work in environments that are different from those of medical assistants.
This is because LPNs can work in diverse environments such as clinics, hospitals, assisted living facilities, private offices, nursing homes, outpatient surgical centers, schools, and hospitals.
4. Gaining Various Technical Skills
Your exposure to clinical situations as an LPN will enhance the knowledge you already have as a medical assistant.
You can also learn how to give medications and treatments to patients, diagnose medical issues in patients, and empathize with them and their families.
FAQ
Can you challenge the LPN exam in Ohio?
Every year, 2,625 out of the 3,250 candidates who take the NCLEX-PN in Ohio pass it on their first try, giving the state an average, steady pass rate of around 81 percent.
How do you challenge the LVN board in Texas?
Applicants must have at least 51 months of paid bedside nursing experience to challenge the LVN board exam. This involves six weeks of paediatric nursing, six weeks of maternity or genitourinary nursing, and 48 months of general medical-surgical experience.
Can you challenge the NCLEX without going to nursing school?
Yes, you can take your NCLEX test.
Can you challenge the board for LVN?
A potential LVN in California does not need to complete a recognized, official LVN program before they can challenge the board and take the LVN licensing exam.
Can paramedics challenge the NCLEX?
No. Nursing knowledge differs from paramedic knowledge. In addition, you must possess a nursing degree from a recognized college to take the NCLEX.
How many times can you fail the nursing boards?
If they are unsuccessful, they must wait 45 days before trying again. However, after three failures, they will have to finish a remediation program that has been approved by the board before their next attempt. Candidates have a total of six chances to succeed.
Is NCLEX easier than nursing school?
The NCLEX assesses your ability to apply and analyze situations utilizing the nursing knowledge you learned in school, unlike nursing school exams, which test for knowledge. This test is significantly harder and more in-depth since it emphasizes logic and critical thinking rather than rote memorization.
Can I take NCLEX 10 years after graduation?
She said that you should apply because there is no time limit on when you must have completed your nursing school to be eligible to take the NCLEX.
Are CMA and LPN the same?
An LPN is typically found in a clinical setting, engaging with patients and providing simple, routine care, in contrast to a CMA, who may spend much of their time completing administrative chores at the front of the office.
What is the next step after a CMA?
The CMA certification and prior work experience as a medical assistant are prerequisites for the registered medical assistant (RMA) certification. The American Registry of Medical Assistants (ARMA) will next offer a test for them to complete to demonstrate their technical expertise and medical knowledge.
Conclusion
A medical assistant might decide to transition their healthcare knowledge into a job as an LPN, or licensed practical nurse, to get higher pay.
Most state nursing boards are usually strict about the prerequisites and requirements for taking the LPN exam.
But an eligible +medical assistant must pass the national LPN licensure exam, known as the NCLEX-PN, to be certified and licensed.
